Fans are not filling Rupp Arena this season like they have in past years. (Jeff Houchin Photo)
Thanks to Jon Hale of the Courier-Journal, we now know attendance for Kentucky basketball games this season has been much lower than the numbers released by UK officials. It has not been hard to see empty seats at each of UK’s home games — something that has been blamed on COVID and/or the weak opponents (Kentucky has hosted just one team in the KenPom Top 250 and that was Ohio at No. 105).
How bad is attendance?
According to the Courier-Journal article, the average number of tickets scanned per game this season has been 10,439 compared to UK’s announced average of 18,615 per home game. Hale noted that’s a decrease of almost 28 percent from the 2019-20 season when Rupp Arena was able to have full capacity (20,500).
Less than 9,000 tickets were scanned for a Monday night game against Central Michigan on Nov. 29. The biggest gate was 12,429 against North Florida on Friday, Nov. 26, based on the info the Courier obtained in an open records request.
So what is going on to make fans not come to Rupp Arena:
— COVID has to be a factor because attendance is down at most events nationally. Mask mandates might also be discouraging some fans from attending.
— Tickets are too expensive. A friend with lower-level seats explained that counting his donation to the K-Fund, a ticket costs him about $150 per game. For two tickets, that means $300 and that’s a lot to see teams Kentucky has brought into Rupp Arena so far this year.
— It’s a lot more convenient to stay home than fight traffic, parking issues, mask mandates, and high concession prices. Fans can watch on TV from home and actually see more of the game than they can by attending.
— Kentucky does little to enhance the game-day experience for most fans. Today you need to entertain fans when the game action stops. Kentucky does not do that.
— Fans just don’t like what coach John Calipari calls “tune-up games.” Every major program has them but Calipari has to start bringing a few more marquee teams into Rupp Arena. It was great for the UK coach that the North Florida coach was his former ball boy at UMass but that meant nothing to UK fans. Kentucky has also played all its home games on Monday, Tuesday, or Friday nights. Maybe try playing on Saturday.
— Fans still are not over the 9-16 season, including some being bitter over UK players kneeling for the national anthem during the game at Florida. Some fans still resent the one-and-done trend.
Pick your reason. Any or all could be right or it could be something else. But the bottom line is obvious — UK fans just are not coming to Rupp Arena like they did before.
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Here is the link to Hale’s story: https://www.courier-journal.com/story/sports/college/kentucky/2021/12/09/kentucky-basketball-attendance-rupp-arena-down-28-homestand/6445649001/
19 Responses
Some are concerned about Covid as they should be. Some are not interested in coming to see Popcorn State teams play, especially when we struggle with them. Some are tired of paying to see a lackluster group of kids who are only focused on the NBA. Oscar has been a refreshing change to that scene. Sahvir can be that too, though there are times when he gets caught up in the draft positioning frenzy. Some can’t get the taste of last year out of their memory. Some are tired of Coach’s players first philosophy. Some are tired of KY kids not getting the same opportunity to play as the NBA wannabes. Add all of this up and then add the fact that it is so easy to get the game on TV (at least for now) and people are just staying home. North Carolina had a couple of bad years and then 3 time national championship coach Roy Williams was honest enough to say it was time for him to leave. Duke had an off year last season and Coach K came to the same conclusion although he wanted one more season to say good-bye, and may do so with another Final 4 run. Neither of those schools embarked on national searches for the best coach available; they hired one of their assistant coaches in short order with little or no fanfare. It’s time for Coach Calipari to be honest with himself as well. He is not winning championships as most in BBN want and his players first program is no longer producing lottery picks. Now Rupp Arena is half empty and people watching on TV are wondering…what’s happened to KY basketball? Then they see a performance like we had against Southern and say…Oh, that’s it. Maybe it’s time to let someone else take a shot at being coach at the University of Kentucky. We will have a winning season but with double digit losses. When Tubby comes back at the end of the year, he will probably ask why he couldn’t stay with those kind of seasons. It’s something to think about. At least now, you have plenty of room to do that in Rupp Arena.
Do you think Cal can just wave a magic wand and poof !!there you go fans there is a title for you . Well guess what it doesn’t work that way , if you think it does you better go back to the moon or mars because that is where your high and mighty remarks will be
I don’t think anyone is saying that David. Just saying playing a few better teams. For instance, the UK women play Indiana, DePaul, West Virginia and Louisville — I think the men’s team would satisfy fans by having at least two games like that at Rupp each year
David you need to go back and read Keith Peel’s article about voicing opinions. If the only way you can make a point is to attack someone in a personal way…you don’t have much of a point to make and should keep your mouth shut.
Duke University has apparently waved the magic wand David. Coach K has made a statement, like him or not. He won the title in 2001, again in 2010, and followed another one in 2015 if I am correct. That is three titles in 14 years. All with probably less talent than Coach Calipari has had here at UK for his "one and done" scheme, and his players’ quest to head to the NBA asap. Now don’t get me wrong, I am surely not a Duke fan at all, but Calipari was brought here to win ncaa championships for UK. He is due to win one anytime now if we use your time frame. Like this year maybe, I hop!. So far, I don’t see this team doing that. I hope I am wrong, I surely do.
If the team and coach showed more respect to our national Anthem-and Rupp arena announcement that masks are optional -and stop treating fans like we are second class citizens -along with cup cake schedule-all adds up
I say poor scheduling, high cost of tickets, masks mandates, the one and done player scenario we see yearly from Coach Calipari’s system, Covid 19 concerns, last national championship being 2012, and flag kneeling, take your pick. Now, at other SEC schools, there are lots of empty seats for basketball games too, generally speaking, until UK comes calling of course. I have another reason to add just for thought here. UK is fast becoming a football school under Coach Mark Stoops just like everybody else in the football crazy SEC is. Don’t believe what I imply here about football being king in the SEC, watch the Paul Finebaum show more.
For one you DO NOT know a thing about the kneeling ! Not one thing so you can throw that out ! Yea and go watch the Paul Finebaum show and see that he doesn’t speak a whole lot about UK . One more thing Rupp was at KY for almost 40 years and won 4 titles that is 1 every 10 years and you complain about Cal , give me a break
I know they disrespected the flag a lot of men died for, I know that. Semper Fi to every U. S. Marine, Soldier, Airman , and Sailor, who spilled their guts and blood out on the field of battle to defend this nation a bunch of pampered athletes want to take a knee for when the flag and colors pass. By the way, both black and white young men too! Finally, football is rising at UK, a blind man could see it. As for Calipari, all that so called talent he has brought in thus far but only one title, my, my. He has a long way to go to measure up to Rupp and the house he built. Basketball needs to pick it up.
Geez David. Your responses would lead one to think that you are John Calipari himself. You obviously have some anger issues that you might want to get some help with. A lot of people have opinions that differ from yours. Trying to shout them down just shows how ill prepared you are to participate in this discussion. Go ahead and make your points, but leave the personal attacks out of this.
Like the football angle Pup
Thanks Larry. Go Cats!
When Calipari leaves there will be a lot more fans whining about the cats and they will be louder. Same when Stoops leaves.
KY basketball is bigger than any one person. Cal will leave at some point, but KY basketball will be just fine after he does.
Without one and done’s you basically can’t compete in today’s game. Guidelines have to be changed for the NBA to require Two yrs minimum in college if you want to change that. Mask mandates as well and the most important thing is ticket prices. Most fans can’t afford 150 dollar a ticket to see anyone, regardless who you play or how good you are.
I’m like David, Our history is not on our side of winning National titles very often and yes i agree Cal needs to up the schedule at Rupp arena.
You spoiled ###### #######’s – be thankful for what you have.
They have sucked since they took a knee, and they deserve it.
Code3, old Lord get over it, you people act like this was the first time our civilized people has protest over various reason. I guess you weren’t born what about happen in the decade of 60′ s.the stuff that went on even including the Kennedy assinssnation that was cover up from own government from the get to.